New Winner: H.I.V.E Series by Mark Walden

I didn't get a reply from one of the original winners of this giveaway so with the help of random.org I am happy to announce a NEW winner of all seven books in the H.I.V.E series by Mark Walden (Higher Institute of Villainous Education, Overlord Protocol, Escape Velocity, Dreadnought, Zero Hour and Aftershock) along with a fab Villain in Training t-shirt, rucksack and wristband are:

Eliot Smith (email address starting eliotsmithgt@...)

Congratulations Eliot!  You should have already received an email from me asking for your address so please make sure you look out for it.  If I don't hear back from you within 48 hours then another new winner will be chosen.  The prizes will be sent out by my contact at Bloomsbury so you'll need to give permission for me to forward your address to them.  I'd like to say a massive thank you to Bloomsbury for allowing me to host this giveaway for them.

Review: Dragon Bound - Thea Harrison

Half human and half Wyr, Pia Giovanni spent her life keeping a low profile among the Wyrkind and avoiding the continuing conflict between them and their Dark Fae enemies.  But after being black-mailed into stealing a coin from the hoard of a dragon, Pia finds herself targeted by one of the most powerful - and passionate - of the Elder Races.

As the most feared and respected of Wyrkind, Dragos Cuelebre cannot believe someone had the audacity to steal from him, much less succeed.  And when he catches the thief, Dragos spares her life, claiming her as his own to further explore the desire they've ignited in each other.

Pia knows she must repay Dragos for her trespass, but refuses to become his slave - although she cannot deny wanting him, body and soul . . .

Elder Races Series:
Dragon Bound
Storm's Heart
Serpent's Kiss
True Colours (Novella)
Oracle's Moon
Natural Evil (Novella)
Devil's Gate (Novella)
Lord's Fall (November 2012)

Visit Thea Harrison's website for more information

Review:
Pia is half human and half wyr but due to her mother's protectiveness she has always tried to remain hidden from the rest of the wyrkind.  When she is blackmailed into stealing from the most powerful dragon she knows her life will never be the same again.  Dragos is incensed when he discovers something missing from his hoard and fully intends to make the thief pay but when he tracks down Pia he is surprised at the response she brings out in him.  He is intrigued by this woman who may be scared of him but still refuses to back down and he is determined to discover the secrets she is hiding.

I've been wanting to read Dragon Bound ever since I first heard about it, I love dragons but you so rarely find them as the main character in books that I automatically want to buy any books I come across.  After seeing nothing but positive reviews for this book and reading the amazing comments on the cover from some of my favourite authors I was expecting to be blown away by the story.  Although I enjoyed the book I found myself somewhat disappointed, it just didn't quite manage to live up to all the hype that I've seen.  Perhaps I went into things with my expectations too high but it was hard not to with the comments I'd read.  Having said that I still liked the story, I like Thea Harrison's writing style and I'm very curious to see where the series will lead to next.  I have already bought the next book Storm's Heart and am looking forward to giving it a try.

As a heroine Pia was full of contradictions, at times she was strong and brave but there were other times she was so weak that I wanted to shake her.  When she was standing up for herself against Dragos I was happily cheering her on but I found it frustrating that there were occasions when she just went to sleep and let him deal with whatever problems came their way.  I was very intrigued to find out what her secret was though and although I'd made several attempts at guessing what kind of wyr she was I didn't come close to the truth, I love it when an author can surprise me.  Dragos was a character I really liked, he was a strong alpha male and could be too protective and possessive but he did learn to temper his behaviour as the story goes on.  The attraction between the couple was intense and just what I look for in a paranormal romance.

I was impressed with the world that Thea Harrison has created, it was nice to read about something other than vampires and werewolves for a change.  In Dragon Bound we see dragons, fae, goblins, harpies and even thunderbirds - I'm looking forward to getting to learn more about them all as the series progresses.  There are some interesting side characters and I was pleased to see that Tricks will be the heroine in the next installment as she was definitely my favourite.  Although Dragon Bound didn't amaze me it was still a good start to a new series from a debut author and I have high hopes for how things will continue.

Source: Purchased

Other reviews of this book:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Review: The Adventures of the New Cut Gang - Philip Pullman

Lambeth, South London, 1894

Meet the New Cut gang - Benny, Thunderbolt, Bridie and the Peretti twins - the greatest detectives since Sexton Blake.  Who's passing counterfeit coins round Lambeth?  Surely not Thunderbolt's dad, who's been arrested.  And who's stolen the Worshipful Company of Gas-Fitters' silver?  With a little help from some colourful (and not always willing) accomplices, our heroes are soon blazing hot on the criminals' trail.

Here - published together for the first time, with all-new illustrations by Martin Brown - are Philip Pullman's classic tales of crime and detection: Thunderbolt's Waxwork and The Gas-Fitters' Ball - a pair of aces from the Master story-teller.

Visit Philip Pullman's website for more information

Review:
The Adventures of the New Cut Gang is a bind up of 2 stories by Philip Pullman that were originally published in the 1990's - Thunderbolt's Waxwork and The Gas-Fitters' Ball.  This is a beautiful hardback edition and has been wonderfully illustrated by Martin Brown making it a lovely book to hold a permanent position on any bookshelf.  I hadn't read either of these stories before but as a fan of Philip Pullman I couldn't wait to get stuck in and I definitely wasn't disappointed.

In Thunderbolt's Waxwork we are introduced to the New Cut gang, a rag tag group of mischievous children who want to be detectives.  In their first "case" they are determined to track down the person behind a spate of counterfeit coins doing the rounds in Lambeth.  Thunderbolt's dad has been arrested but they are sure it couldn't be him who was making the coins - can they find a way to prove it and have him released from prison? 

The Gas-Fitters' Ball continues the adventures of the New Cut gang, this time they are on the hunt for a burglar - someone has stolen the Gas-Fitters' silver trophies and the gang are intent on finding out who.  Can they beat the police to find the burglar?

I absolutely loved the characters that make up the New Cut gang.  You have leader Benny who has an imagination that often runs away with him and comes up with crazy plans bound to get them all in trouble, then there is Sam (AKA Thunderbolt) - he is the smart and studious one, Bridie is the hot tempered red head with a heart of gold who is always looking out for the others and her little brother Sharkie Bob who was probably my favourite.  A lot younger than the others he tags along wherever they go eating everything in sight.  You can't forget the Peretti twins Angela and Zerlina who may look like angels but you wouldn't want to end up on their bad side.

The stories themselves are fun and lighthearted adventures that had me laughing out loud as I read them.  They're perfect for bedtime reading and will be enjoyed by both children and adults.  The Victorian setting is well done and I loved the use of British slang.  I read on Philip Pullman's website that there were originally going to be 6 stories about the New Cut gang and I really hope he gets time to write the remaining 4 - I'll be first in the queue to buy them if he does!

Source: Received from RHCB in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
Thoughts from the Hearthfire
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Quick Review: Zola's Pride - Moira Rogers

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF PARANORMAL ROMANCE 2

Zola spent years traveling the world, studying with supernatural martial-arts masters. Now, as the only lion shifter in New Orleans, she enjoys freedom from politics as well as success in running her own business--self-defense training for psychics, spell casters and other shifters.

Only one man knows why she left home at nineteen--Walker Gravois. He was there when her Seer mother, her mind twisted by magic, exiled Zola from the pride. More to the point, he stayed behind, shattering her young heart in the process.

When he appears on her doorstep after ten years of silence, Zola is nowhere near ready to trust again. But with Walker's life in danger--and the passion between them burning hotter than ever--she'll have to choose between the safety of solitude and the risk of opening herself to others once again.

This story can be downloaded for free on Moira Rogers' website click here for more details

Southern Arcana Series:
Crux
Crossroads
A Peyton Family Christmas (free short story on Moira Rogers' website)
Zola's Pride (free short story on Moira Rogers' website)
Deadlock
Two Weddings (and One Near Funeral) (free short story on Moira Rogers' website
Cipher
Impulse
Enigma

Visit Moira Rogers' website for more information

Review:
Zola's Pride is a short story in Moira Rogers' Southern Arcana series set between books 2 & 3. The story was originally published in The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance 2 but is now also available as a free download on Moira Rogers' website. Although set after book 2 in the SA series I don't think it would give any spoilers so you could read it as an introduction to the author's work.

It's hard to mention the plot of a short story because it is easy to give too much away so I'll just tell you that the 2 main characters, Zola and Walker, are both lion shifters who used to belong to the same pride. When Zola was forced to leave she was devastated that Walker didn't go with her but he had very good reasons not to. Now ten years on they meet again & Walker has a lot of explaining to do.

With short stories there obviously isn't as much time to get to know the characters as well as you would in a full length novel but I still liked them both. Zola's Pride is a great quick read containing romance and a little bit of action & I really enjoyed it. I'm sure fans of the SA series will like the story & as I've already mentioned it would be a good way to try a new author if you haven't read anything by Moira Rogers before. Don't expect the plot to be as detailed as it would be in one of the SA novels but I appreciate the fact that Bree & Donna (the 2 ladies behind the name Moira Rogers) offer free reads to their fans to keep us going between their releases.

Now I'm just looking forward to getting started on Deadlock!
 
Source: Downloaded for free from Moira Rogers' website

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here

Review: Hunting Lila - Sarah Alderson

Lila has two secrets she's prepared to take to the grave.  The first is that she can move things just by looking at them. The second is that she's been in love with her brother's best friend, Alex, since forever.

After a mugging exposes her unique ability, Lila decides to run to the only people she can trust - her brother and Alex. They live in Southern California where they work for a secret organisation called The Unit, and Lila discovers that the two of them are hunting down the men who murdered her mother five years before. And that they've found them. In a world where nothing and no one is quite as they seem, Lila quickly realises that she is not alone - there are others with special powers out there - and her mother's killer is one of them . . .

Lila Series:
Catching Suki (Short Story)
Turning Amber (Short Story)
Hunting Lila
Losing Lila
Tormenting Lila (Novella)

Visit Sarah Alderson's website for more information

Review:
Lila has the power to move things using just her mind but it's an ability she doesn't have control over. In fact when someone attempts to mug her she finds out just how out of control she really is. Scared by what happened and that her secret will be revealed Lila wants nothing more than to see her brother Jack and his best friend Alex (who she has been secretly in love with for years). Taking a flight to California she is relieved to see them both but as she learns more about the job they do and who they work for a deeper mystery is revealed. Lila discovers there are others out there with abilities like hers and it looks like they are searching for her but why? Can Jack and Alex keep her safe?

It's hard to know where to start with this review so I'm just going to come out and say that I think Hunting Lila is one of the best debuts I've read this year. The story had me gripped from the first page and I was fascinated by the psychic abilities that Lila and the others have. The action starts early and pretty much from the beginning and doesn't let up until the last page, this really was one of those books you don't want to put down.

I loved Lila's character, she is quite young and immature to start with but she really grows throughout the story and has an inner strength to her that makes it easy to like her. Her big brother Jack is very protective of his little sister and wants what is best for her, their relationship comes across as very realistic and believable. I have to admit that my favourite thing about the story was the romance between Lila and Alex, I dare any girl to read this book and not end up with a new crush. Alex is completely swoonworthy - kind, caring, sexy as hell, motorbike riding and a military guy to boot - what more can a girl ask for? I loved the fact that their relationship has been on a slow build for years and oh boy was I desperate for them to finally get together! The romance doesn't detract from the main plot though, it only enhances it. Nothing is quite what it seems and there were so many twists and turns that I didn't see coming.

I was absolutely gutted to reach the end and can't wait to get my hands on the sequel!  Hunting Lila is a fantastic debut that has me very excited to see what Sarah Alderson will come up with next, she is definitely now on my list of must buy authors. Highly recommended to anyone who is looking for a fast paced thriller with a paranormal twist.

Source: Received from Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Book Trailer: Chain Reaction - Simone Elkeles

If you've been following my blog for a while you'll know I'm a massive fan of Simone Elkele's Fuente's Brothers trilogy so I've been waiting for Chain Reaction for what seems like forever!  I still can't find a UK release date for this one but I'm hoping we don't have to wait too much longer (I may have to cave in and order the US copy soon otherwise!).   I thought I'd share these videos with you to keep us going until we can get our hands on a copy.

This is the trailer for the first book in the trilogy Perfect Chemistry, I absolutely love Alex! You can read my review here



Then we have the trailer for the second book Rules of Attraction where we meet middle brother Carlos (who may have stolen my heart away from Alex!) You can read my review here



And finally the trailer for the book I can't wait to read Chain Reaction, can Simone Elkeles live up to my expectations again with this one?  I'm excited to find out and I'm looking forward to getting to know Luis better!



So are you a fan of the series?  Are you as excited about Chain Reaction as I am?  If you're one of the lucky ones in the US have you already read it? I'd love to know what you think

Review: Eternal Rider - Larissa Ione

UK Cover

The prophecies were there but no one listened. Until now. They are the Lords of Deliverance and they have the power to usher in Doomsday . . . or prevent it.

His name is Ares, and the fate of mankind rests on his powerful shoulders. If he falls to the forces of evil, the world falls too. As one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, he is far stronger than any mortal, but even he cannot fight his destiny for ever. Not when his own brother plots against him.

Yet there is one last hope. Gifted in a way other humans can't - or won't - understand, Cara Thornhart is the key to both this Horseman's safety and his doom. But involving Cara will prove treacherous, even beyond the maddening, dangerous desire that seizes them the moment they meet. For staving off eternal darkness could have a staggering cost: Cara's life.

The Demonica Series:
Pleasure Unbound
Desire Unchained
Passion Unleashed
Eternity Embraced (Novella)
Ecstasy Unveiled
Sin Undone
Eternal Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 1)
Vampire Fight Club (Novella in the Supernatural anthology or as a separate ebook)
Immortal Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 2)
Lethal Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 3)
Rogue Rider (Lords of Deliverance book 4)
Reaver
Azagoth (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 1)
Revenant
Hades (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 2)
Base Instincts (Novella)
Z (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 3)
Razr (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 4)
Hawkyn (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 5)
Her Guardian Angel (Novella) (Demonica Underworld book 6, also part of the Masters and Mercenaries Crossover Collection)
Dining with Angels: Bits & Bites from the Demonica Universe (Short Story Collection & Recipe Book, Demonica Underworld book 7)
Cipher (Demonica Underworld book 8)
Reaper (Demonica Underworld book 9)

For more information visit Larissa Ione's website

Review:
As a massive fan of Larissa Ione's Demonica series I couldn't wait to get my hands on the first book in her spin off Lords of Deliverance series. Although Eternal Rider is set in the Demonica world and has appearances from some of the characters we already know and love Larissa gives enough information that you could pick up the book without having read the other series first. That's not to say I wouldn't recommend the Demonica books though - they are some of my favourite paranormal romances so I'd definitely suggest giving them a try if you haven't already read them.

Ares (along with his brothers and sister) was cursed to become one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Depending on which prophecy you believe they are either going to bring about the end of the world or prevent it. They each have a seal that they must protect for as soon as it is broken they will become evil and the world will be one step closer to the apocalypse. His brother Reseph's seal has already been broken and he has become Pestilence - spreading disease throughout the world. Pestilence is determined to bring Ares (War) and their other siblings Thanatos (Death) and Limos (Famine) over to the dark side.

Cara is a human who has no idea that demons walk amongst us, she is pulled into the Demonica world by accident when she is asked to treat an injured dog that turns out to have been a Hellhound. Soon Cara finds out that she has a vital role to play in stopping the apocalypse but she may have to pay with her life to do it.

I don't want to go into any more detail than that because I don't want to spoil the story for you but the plot is action packed from beginning to end and it was a book I didn't want to put down. I loved all of the characters, Ares and Cara are both strong yet vulnerable and I loved watching the romance build between them. They have an irresistible attraction but due to the circumstances they find themselves in it isn't going to be easy for them to be together. I can't wait to see more of Thanatos and Limos when their books come out but I'm most curious to see how things play out with Reseph. I have no idea how Larissa can redeem him after the things he does in this book but I have a feeling she will find a way to do it.

As much as I love the Demonica series I think that the Lords of Deliverance series could turn out to be even better and I can't wait to get my hands on the next instalment. I'd recommend Larissa Ione to any paranormal romance fan and I think she has strong enough plot lines to entice urban fantasy fans too. Be warned though the heat levels in all of her books are off the scale which is something I love but if you're not a fan of smexy scenes then you may not get on with either series.

Source: Received from Piatkus in exchange for an honest review (I was also given a US edition of this book at Authors After Dark 2011)

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

US Cover

Paperback / Kindle: